Best Home Staging Makeovers: Bright Colors, Coastal Vibes

Draw inspiration from the recipients of Home Staging Resource’s most recent “Best of the Best” awards, recognizing the work of stagers nationwide.

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September 20, 2021Staging, Design TrendsBy: Audra Slinkey

Get inspired for your own listings with the Home Staging Resource’s(link is external) “Best of the Best” awards, recognizing home stagers for their designs. The before and after photos(link is external) from August entries on HSR’s Facebook Group, Stagers Connect,(link is external) shows the impact staging can make on a home. Peruse some of last month’s honorees and read how they transformed various spaces.

Renovated for ROI

Three-time “Best of the Best” winner Laura Martin of Laura Lynn Interiors(link is external) in Austin, Texas, tackled her first huge project for an occupied home. “The homeowners reached out and asked for a consultation,” Martin says. “The kitchen had been renovated, but the master was still from the ’80s, when the house was built. I recommended that they updated the master bath, as buyers would expect it at the price point they were listing, as well as clearing out and packing up anything in excess that would not add to showcasing the home.” Martin also brought in neutral pieces for a light and airy feel to compliment the other finishes in the home. After listing, the house quickly went under contract with a cash buyer.

Flipped to Sell

Tina Lester of Tina Lester Home Staging & Design(link is external) in Gloucester, Va., staged this vacant home with a seaside vibe for an investor client who flips properties.

Staged Birthday Bliss

Some home stagers are expanding their services for creating the perfect picnic. “I decided to add ‘Posh Picnics’ into my services since the housing market here is so crazy,” says Jennifer Dobson, owner of The Queen of the Castle: Home Staging and Redesign(link is external) in Maysville, Ky. “Literally, houses are selling within hours of listing or before they can even get on the market. I needed another avenue to encourage my creativity and continue my business.”

Dobson designed a “Posh Picnic” for a teenage girl, with guests ranging from six months to 76 years old. They drank from sparkling wine glasses—which the young children thought were fancy—and ate from a charcuterie board filled with meats, fruits, cheeses, and crackers. “This picnic was all about summer and the beautiful colors and flowers that come with it,” Dobson says. “I’m sure it was a backyard birthday she will never forget!”

Coastal Cool

The summer vibe continues with two-time “Best of the Best” winner Mitchell Bage of Maison de Campagne(link is external) in Galveston and Houston, Texas. Bage recently finished a job, which he dubbed “Project Chiquita,” bringing more high-end touches to a raised coastal home with views of the Galveston Bay. The owners, who updated the home before listing, had already purchased another property and moved out, leaving the house they were selling vacant and lifeless. “Our [staging] approach was a comfortable coastal luxury that buyers would instantly relax into,” Bage says. “A consistent color palette was planned, utilizing natural fibers and wood tones as much as possible. We never wanted furnishings pulling away from the true selling point of the property: the amazing waterfront views.”
 

Remote Design Planning

Lindsay Noll of Noll Team Interiors—Staging and Redesign(link is external) in Fort Wayne, Ind., often helps clients with vacation homes, even from hundreds of miles away. She worked both virtually and in person with a couple who lives in Venice, Fla., to achieve a coastal design for their vacation property. “Starting with the wall color all the way to the final product, we worked virtually for months to source furnishings and accessories. Then, I flew down to help put it all together,” Noll says. She gave the home a natural base through the chairs and tables, along with a few pops of color for personality. Then, she added a Capiz shell light fixture as the home’s “jewelry” and accessorized with some large-scale items to enhance the coastal vibe.

Tricky Space Made Right

Christy McGriff of Home Styling Studio(link is external) in Gray, Tenn., staged a tri-level home that had recently been renovated. “The final touch was to bring in the feeling of home,” McGriff says. “This home had a midcentury vibe and a very unique floor plan that needed to be showcased. My goal was to bring in natural elements to blend seamlessly with the outdoor view from the massive windows.” The same neutral, timeless design was then carried throughout the home.

Bright, Cheery Hues

Reina Gascon of RG InStyle Staging & Design(link is external) in Charleston, S.C., used pops of bright yellow to make this space stand out in photos.

Cozy Chic

Stephanie Beene-Smith of Stephanie’s House to Home Staging Design(link is external) in Barrington, Ill., aimed to create a beautiful and serene living area in this project. “I love the faux throw on the couch and the velvety pink chairs,” Beene-Smith says. She also used one of my favorite paint colors, Urbane Bronze—Sherwin-Williams’ 2021 Color of the Year—to add drama to the space.

Beautifully Styled Shelves

Vicki Puhl of Charmed Life Home Staging & Interiors, LLC(link is external) in Youngstown, Ohio, sought to create an amazing living room. She brought open shelving into the spotlight, capturing a popular home trend, and created a comfy lounging space with textured pillows.

Total Transformation

Tracy Davis Sharp of Sharp Staging in Portland, Ore., is another serial winner of the “Best of the Best” award. Davis took a living room from drab to fab, creating a polished room that is light and airy.

For more information on the “Best of the Best” award process and to see past award winners, visit the Home Staging Resource.(link is external)

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Audra Slinkey

Audra Slinkey is president and founder of the Home Staging Resource, a home staging and redesign certification training company. 

• Content by Audra Slinkey

Just when the housing market was starting to fall into a seasonal pattern, mortgage demand takes off. Mortgage applications to purchase a home—a gauge of the housing market—rose 7% last week compared to the previous week, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported Wednesday. That marks the highest level since April of this year.

Housing inventories have increased slightly, which may be opening up more possibilities to home buyers who had felt shut out. Also, a new report shows that bidding wars are easing, which also may be an incentive for buyers to come back in the hopes they’re facing less competition.

Continue…https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/09/16/mortgage-demand-climbs-to-highest-level-since-april

Bidding Wars Reach Their Lowest Level This Year

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September 15, 2021

Competition for homes on the market is lessening, which could provide an opening for home buyers who have been losing out amid this year’s bidding wars.

In August, about 59% of offers on homes written by Redfin agents faced competition, which is a record low for this year and the lowest level since 2020, according to a Redfin analysis. That’s down from a peak of 74% in April.

There have been additional recent signs that the housing market is cooling somewhat: Contract signings in July dropped, mortgage applications for home purchases—a gauge for future home buying—have been easing, and more sellers are making price adjustments.

Still, sellers continue to have the upper hand. The number of listings on the market is increasing but remains low compared with high buyer demand. Fifty percent of homes sold above their list price during the four weeks ending Sept. 5, according to Redfin. Eighty-nine percent of homes sold in July were on the market for less than a month, according to National Association of REALTORS® data.

“Sellers are still pricing their homes very high, but a lot of buyers have had enough and are no longer willing to pay the huge premiums they were six months ago,” said Nicole Dege, a Redfin real estate professional in Orlando, Fla. “Instead of 25 to 30 offers on turnkey homes, we’re now seeing five to seven.”

Dege said buyers are both becoming more selective and expecting more. “I have one seller who recently put his four-bedroom single-family pool house on the market, but the roof was shot,” she said. “He had to lower his asking price to $423,000 from $427,000 and agree to spend around $7,000 to replace the roof in order to attract bidders. Six months ago, he would have easily been able to sell that home as-is without dropping the price.”

In August, Raleigh, N.C., had the highest rate of bidding wars in the country, with 86.7% of offers written by agents reporting competition, according to Redfin’s analysis. The San Francisco/San Jose market followed at 70.7%; Tucson, Ariz., at 70.5%; Cincinnati at 70.4%; and Salt Lake City at 68.1%.Source: “59% of Home Offers Written by Redfin Agents Faced Bidding Wars in August—the Lowest Level Since 2020,” Redfin (Sept. 13, 2021)

Between Sept. 12 and Oct. 17, the majority of housing markets nationwide will reach their “sweet spot” with a higher number of homes for sale, lower prices, and less buyer competition compared with the average week of the year, according to realtor.com®’s Best Time to Buy Report.
This week kicks off the best time of year particularly for home shoppers in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore., the survey found.
Overall, house hunters who purchase a home between Sept. 12 and Oct. 17 will see, on average, 31% more listings than a more typical week of the year. They’ll have more than 100,000 new listings to choose from nationwide, realtor.com® said. They are also likely to face less competition. They also could see prices recede somewhat, by as much as $10,000 below their seasonal highs.
Continue…https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/09/13/report-best-time-to-buy-is-now

Lending Giant to Offer In-House Appraisal Option

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September 10, 2021

United Wholesale Mortgage has announced that it will offer an option to work directly with appraisers, a change from the typical use of an independent appraisal management company.

UWM is rolling out the program, called Appraisal Direct, nationwide on Oct. 1. Appraisal Direct will oversee the entire appraisal process, from scheduling the appraisal to its execution and delivery.

Lenders can choose whether they use Appraisal Direct or order an appraisal through an appraisal management company.

AMCs “have a lot of value in our industry, but we are offering new options,” said Mat Ishbia, CEO and president of UWM.

UWM will hire more than 100 people to work on the new program. Appraisers will be selected for an appraisal based on a scorecard that reflects their knowledge of a geographic area and past performance, Housingwire reported.

The appraisal industry has grappled with concerns over appraiser shortages in many areas of the country. With a booming housing market, some lenders have complained of delays in getting appraisals returned promptly.

However, Kimber White, president of the National Association of Mortgage Brokers, said she doesn’t think UWM’s program is the solution to the appraisal shortage. “I think it’s okay for them right away, but I think it’s better for us all to work together to find a solution for the entire industry,” White said. “Is this really the way we want to go and allow all wholesalers to enter the appraisal business?” White said many lenders have increased their use of AMCs as an intermediary between appraisers and mortgage brokers to avoid past evaluation issues that were blamed for triggering the housing crisis.Source: “United Wholesale Mortgage to Offer In-House Appraisal Option,” National Mortgage News (Sept. 9, 2021); “United Wholesale Mortgage to Offer In-House Appraisal Option,” Anandmarket.in (Sept. 10, 2021); and “UWM Launches AMC-Free Appraisal Program,” Housingwire (Sept. 9, 2021)

Aspiring first-time home buyers may not want to give up on that competitive house hunt: In many markets, they could save money by owning.
Buying a starter home is more affordable than renting in nearly half of the largest U.S. metros, according to a new study released by realtor.com®.
The U.S. median rental price has climbed nearly 10% year over year to $1,607. That is 15.5% higher than the monthly payments for a starter home, the lower-priced tier of homes for sale in a market. Low mortgage rates are helping to offset recent jumps in home prices.
Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/08/27/starter-homes-still-cheaper-than-renting-in-many-areas

Will bidding wars continue? Will home prices stay elevated? Will home buyer demand remain strong? Heading into the fall season, economists are optimistic about the market’s direction considering its unpredictability since the beginning of the pandemic.
For the most part, they agree it won’t be a return to the usual slowing pace of sales in the fall—nor will prices slide to the extent typical of the season as families settle into a new school year.
The fast-spreading delta variant of COVID-19, however, remains a wild card for the housing market.
But at the moment, “I expect an unusually busy fall season,” said George Ratiu, realtor.com®’s chief economist. “Sellers are putting homes on the market. Normally, this activity happens early in the spring.”
Continue…https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/08/25/economists-sales-momentum-will-carry-into-fall

The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage held near last week’s average and continues to average near historical lows and under 3%.
“Mortgage rates stayed relatively flat this week,” says Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist. “Housing is in a similar phase of the economic cycle as many other consumer goods. While there is strong latent demand, low supply has caused prices to rise as shortages restrict the amount of sales activity that otherwise would occur.”
Continue… https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/08/20/mortgage-rates-barely-budge-remain-below-3

Press print for a home. More consumers are warming up to that idea. Sixty-six percent of more than 3,000 consumers—and 75% of millennials, in particular—say they’d consider living in a 3D printed home, according to a new survey released by realtor.com®.
3D printed homes have been touted for offering greater affordability, energy efficiency, and better resistance to natural disasters over the past year. They also make it much faster to build a new home.
Continue…https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2021/08/20/3d-printed-homes-are-gaining-consumer-interest

5 Emerging Home Design Trends to Watch

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August 18, 2021

With more time spent on activities in the home, flexible design is becoming increasingly important to homeowners. Also, they want to bring more outdoor elements inside. These are among the latest home trends, according to Houzz, a home design and remodeling resource. Houzz researchers identified the top emerging home design trends based on search insights from homeowners and home professionals at its site.

Here’s an overview of the five emerging trends Houzz identified in its report, 2021 Houzz Emerging Home Design Trends:

Dedicated activity spaces

Homes are being used for a greater number of activities as well as for entertainment. As such, Houzz identified growing interest for art studios, an increase of nearly 10 times over the past year, as well as home bars and wine cellars, home theaters, gyms, and offices.

The outdoors head indoors

More homeowners are seeking to tie their indoor spaces to the outside with more greenery and nature. Site searches for artificial plants and trees as well as indoor pots and planters are up significantly over the past year, according to Houzz. Also, the color green is offering that nod to nature, with a significant uptick in searches for green kitchen cabinets, bathroom tile, accent chairs, and bedrooms. One in five homeowners recently surveyed are opening up their kitchen spaces more to the outdoors, such as with slide-away panels.

Living room updates

As more people sheltered in, they gave their living rooms a refresh. Searches for living rooms are up 52% compared to a year ago. Accent pillows and home accents have seen the biggest increase, along with abstract paintings, display shelves, and slip or chair covers.

Flexible design

Homeowners are seeking flexibility in how they use their space. As such, TV armoires with pocket doors, queen-sized Murphy beds, and nesting side tables, which all can increase the uses for a room, have jumped in popularity. Swivel accent chairs and daybed sets are also being used to create flexible rooms. (Read more: Designing the Perfect Pop-Up Office)

Home staging and design tips: Styled, Staged & Sold blog

Luxury fabrics, materials, and colors
The Houzz survey identified that fabrics, materials, and colors are going “glam” with more searches for velvet, gold, and crystal.

Swimming pools in all shapes and sizes

Interest in swimming pools has surged during the pandemic. Searches for swimming pools and pool houses more than doubled in the second quarter of 2021 compared to a year earlier, according to Houzz. Homeowners are showing an interest in a variety of pool styles, shapes, and designs. For example, searches for pools with water features are up the most, as well as rectangle, lap, infinity, plunge, and geometric pools.Source: “2021 Houzz Emerging Home Design Trends Report,” Houzz (Aug. 18, 2021)